Penulisan 4 Soft Skill

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 

By Washington Irving

       Once upon a time, in  the early 1799 in united states of America.  A young policeman Ichabod Cane is sent from New York to the small village of  Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of mysterious and ghoulish murders. On his arrival, the town council informs him that three victims were killed in open ground, and the heads had disappeared from their body taken by a headless ghost which is known as “ Headless Horseman”. The victims are Peter Van Garret a wealthy farmer in that area, his son Dirk Van Garret and the widow Emily Winship.  

            When Ichabot Crane arrive in Sleepy Hollow there are five men of the town council wait grimly for Ichabod, they are Dr.Thomas Lancaster, Steenwyck, Magistrate Samuel Philipse, Notary James Hardenbrook and Baltus Van Tassel. Everybody in sleepy hollow is talking about the ghost of the “Headless Horseman”. They tell him about the headless horseman. Baltus said to Ichabod that “ The Horseman was a Hessian mercenary from the American Revolutionary War who rides a black steed named Daredevil in search of his missing head. He was caught by readcoats and decapitated with his own sword. It has been twenty years after the head of a Hessian horseman is stolen, the horseman returns from hell to search his missing head”.Ichabod crane believing only in logic, he is unconvinced of this and refuses to believe the public’s theory about the horseman and begin his investigations. For the next day, Ichabod heard that the ghost kill one of the town council members, He is Jonathan Masbath.

       For the next day one of people in Sleepy Hollow shout out “Murder, murder! The Horseman has killed again!”. Ichabod come with the leaders of village to investigate the victim. Dr. Lancaster said “ The fourth victim, Jonathan Masbath.And...the head is Taken”. Ichabod reply with shock ”Taken!  Hmmmm Interesting...very interesting” and he said again ”In headless corpse cases like this,the head is removed to prevent identification of the body”. After Jonathan Masbath funeral’s done,Jonathan Masbath’s son or Young Masbath come to Ichabod to offer her self to serve Ichabod to investigate and handle this case and also to avenge the death of his father. No longer after that Magistrate Philipse came over to give the information that Jonathan masbath was not the fourth victim but the fifth.There are five victims in four grave. After that Ichabod open up the victims grave of headless horseman assisted by young masbath and several others. Ichabod find scar of must stab in the abdomen of widow Emily Winship. Then Ichabod carry the corpse to the operating room for further investigation. After surgery or autopsy process is complete, proved true what Magistrate Philipse said before that there are five victims in four grave that Widow Emily winship was pregnant / conceiving a child.

       One night there is happen a debate between the leaders of the village. Ichabod secretly trying to peek and hear on their debates.Philipse is packing his bags, moving out while three Men, Steenwyck, Doctor Lancaster and Hardenbrook, are in agitated conference. Ichabod is spying on them. Through this investigation he learns the legend of the Headless Horseman, but he doesn't believe that the stories are true until the horseman takes off the head of one of the elders right in front of his very eyes. Ichabod said “What are you running from,Magistrate Philipse?” Magistrate Philipse reply that “ I am running from the power that is no defense”. The horseman came and cut the philipse’s head after that ichabod fainted. Crane begins his investigation, remaining skeptical about the paranormal elements until he actually encounters the Headless Horseman, who kills the town magistrate, Samuel Phillipse. 

       The next day Ichabod lying in the bed all day long and still feel traumatized by the events of last night he saw, when the magistrate Philipse killed by the horseman in front of his eyes. Now he Boarding at the home of the town's richest family, the Van Tassels, it make him fall in love with their daughter, Katrina Van Tassel. Day after day the relationship between Katrina and  Ichabod is getting closer until one day they give their lovely things to each other.

       Crane and Young Masbath, the son of one of the Horseman's victims, go to the cave dwelling of a reclusive witch. She reveals the location of the dead tree, which marks the Horseman's grave, as well as his portal into the natural, living world. Ichabod and Young Masbath ride alone with their horses loaded up for the expedition. Dark, gnarled and creepy woods.There is a cave with a rock archway. They find a witch inside the cave. They look so scare. Jonathan masbath ask to the witch “ Do you know the Horseman mam?”. The witch cross her finger in her neck and she said “You seek the warrior bathed in blood...the Headless Horseman...Follow the Indian trail to where the sun dies. Follow to the Tree of the Dead...Climb down to the Horseman's resting place. Do you hear...?”

       No longer after that Katrina come and join with them. Because Katrina worry about Ichabod. Ichabod, young Masbath and Katrina come into a clearing, slowing their horses...looking up in wonder at the monstrously huge Tree of Dead, at the clearing's center. A huge tree, barren ground, and dark tree. They find the dead tree and Crane discovers that the ground is freshly disturbed and the Horseman's skull is missing. Ichabod find that is a drop of blood that come out from the tree. And he said to Young Masbath “Bring me the shovel”. He chops the tree. The tree drips more blood and a goo. Ichabod uses both hands on the axe to hack at the festering suture. Ichabod's chops the tree and suddenly appear a blood-soaked, wide-eyed, gap-mouthed and that is a human head. Ichabod said “Blood”, Katrina Reply “The tree bleeds? How it can be?”. Ichabod said again “this is a gateway, between two worlds.”

       That night, Ichabod saw the Horseman come out of the death tree, then Ichabod trying to prevent further killings but he’s failed. The family of the village midwife Elizabeth is killed by the Horseman and Katrina's suitor, Brom van Brunt is also killed trying to stop the Horseman. The Horseman doesn't attempt to interact with or harm van Brunt until he has no choice. Ichabod race to find out the origins of the horseman in order to send him back to his grave for good.  

            From this, Crane hypothesizes that the Horseman is attacking select targets, and that whoever dug up and stole the skull is the person who controlling the Horseman. Crane starts to believe that a conspiracy links all the deaths together, so he looks into Van Garrett's last will. Ichabod and young masbath go to the office of Notary Hardenbrook to investigate what he suspicions. And he find the evidence of a marriage certificate and a will that Emily Winship was married secretly with Peter Van Garret. Van Garrett had made a new will just before he died, leaving all his possessions to his secret new bride, Emily Winship, whom Crane discovers was pregnant with Van Garrett's child. Crane deduces that all who knew about the new will, the marriage and the pregnancy were the victims of the Horseman and that Katrina's father Baltus Van Tassel, who would have inherited the fortune, is the person holding the skull. Katrina, finding out that Crane suspects her father, burns all the evidence that Crane has accumulated.Ichabod have discovered something.The Horseman does not kill for the sake of killing, he choses his Victims. When he back to his room he find that under the bed is revealed a strange pentagram drawn in chalk. Ichabod suspect that this act of Katrina. And Katrina burn all valid evidence, because she feels the evidence is threatening the safety of his father, Baltus Van Tassel. His skepticism evaporates and he soon discovers that the horseman’s ghost has an unholy connection to Baltus Van Tassel, a wealthy farmer in Sleepy Hollow.

             A town council make a meeting with all people in sleepy hollow it’s held in the church. The Horseman seemingly kills Katrina's stepmother, Lady Van Tassel, and heads off to the church to get Baltus. Crane realizes the Horseman can't enter the church due to it being holy ground. A fight breaks out between the village elders in the church resulting in the deaths of Reverend Steenwyck and Doctor Lancaster, only ending when the Horseman harpoons Baltus through a window, dragging him out and acquiring his head. More people are heading toward the Church. In the shadows, Ichabod,hatted and cloaked to make himself look anonymous, also watches the people going by...and sees Katrina among them. At that night Baltus Van Tassel is dead decapitated by the hoerseman in front of his daughter’s eyes.

      The next day, Crane believes Katrina to be the one who controls the Headless Horsemen. Crane later becomes suspicious when he realizes the diagram made by Katrina he thought summoned the Horseman is really one of protection, and also that the corpse of Lady Van Tassel has a wound that seems to have been caused post-mortem. The corpse is revealed as that of a servant when Lady Van Tassel emerges alive to ambush Katrina. Lady Van Tassel tells Katrina that her family was driven from their ancestral home by the Van Garretts, who then sold it to the Van Tassels, and that she became a witch and summoned the Horseman to kill Van Garrett, his new wife, and unborn child and every villager who knew about the new will. She then sends the Horseman after Katrina to remove the last obstacle to inheriting Van Garrett's land.

              When Ichabod opens the book which is given by Katrina. There is a Diagram drawing on a whole page. Ichabod recognizes the "Drawing" of the supposed "Evil Eye," identical to the two we have seen before. But what gets Ichabod's real attention is the bold "headline." The Headline over the Picture is "For The Protection of A Loved One Against Evil Spirits." Ichabod gasps, and mutters the words aloud. What a fool I’ve been!. He realize that he made a mistake for suspecting Katrina who control the horseman. Crane uncovers that the Horseman is controlled by Katrina's stepmother, Lady Van Tassel. To avenge Van Tassel’s family, to take all the legacy that she should had . she lost her family, and her wealth because of Van Tassel’s family and Peter Van Garret. When she was young girl, she witnessing the Horseman's death and promising her soul to Satan if he would allow her to control the Horseman to avenge her family. (ritual manggil si horseman) Lady Van Tassel said“Rise up once more, my Dark Avenger! Rise up! One more night of Beheading!... Rise up with your sword, and your Mistress of the night will make you whole a head for a head, my unholy Horseman rise....rise.....rise from the earth,come forth again through the Tree of the Dead...come now for...Katrina!”. Following a fight in the local windmill and a stagecoach chase through the woods, Crane eventually thwarts Lady Van Tassel by returning the skull to the Horseman, who regains his head and goes back to Hell along with Lady Van Tassel and breaks Lady Van Tassel's curse. The Horseman, no longer under her control, hoists Van Tassel up on his horse and gives her a bloody kiss against her will. He then rides to Hell, taking her with him, fulfilling her end of the deal with the Devil.With his job in Sleepy Hollow completed, Crane returns to New York with Katrina and Young Masbeth, just in time for the new century.